SHELBYVILLE — Columbus North softball didn’t perform the way it has been all year against Bloomington North in the semifinal round of the Shelbyville Sectional.
Bull Dog coach Ron McDonald was hesitant to admit that his team looked past the Cougars.
It wasn’t pretty, but Columbus North advanced to the sectional championship with a 4-1 win over Bloomington North.
The Bull Dogs (23-4) will take on East Central in today’s sectional championship at 7 p.m.
“This is one of those where you have to win ugly, and we did,” McDonald said. “We beat them 15-0 during the regular season. We just weren’t in there.”
Josie Lemmons led off the game for the Bull Dogs with a single. After a couple stolen bases from Lemmons and a walk from Lexi Heafner put runners on first and third, Lemmons then scored following the throw to first on a Maddi Rutan strikeout to lead 1-0.
With two out in the top of the third for Bloomington North, Paris Stuffle was by pitch and Emma Isenhour walked to put runners on first and second. Natalie Burns then hit an RBI single to left field to tie the game at 1-1. With runners again on first and second, Foust struck out the final batter to get out of the jam.
The Bull Dogs responded in the bottom half of the third when Lemmons walked and later scored on a double from Lexi Heafner. Rutan then plated a run with an RBI singled. Meghan Waggoner reached second on a double to left field. Bailey King then hit a grounder to second to score another run for the 4-1 final.
For the game, Heafner went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Waggoner was 1 for 3 with a double, Rutan finished 1 for 4 with an RBI and Lemmons was 1 for 2.
In the circle, Foust went three innings and gave up one run, two hits and struck out four. Rachel Cowan came in to finish the last four innings in relief, giving up no hits and striking out four.
“Peri did a really good job, and we finally got Rachel back and she did an awesome job,” McDonald said. “We’ve been missing that all year, but we’ll be ready (tonight).”
